DJs and VJs of Then and Now

I was at a holiday party at a NYC recording studio last Thursday hosted by none other than the Godfather of Turntablism, King of back spinin' and cuttin', Guru of beat-jugglin', phase shiftin' and needle droppin' ... DJ Grandmaster Flash. He is about as sick as it gets when it comes to scratching like a mad man and it doesn't seem that this innovative mastah is going anywhere but up. He had that dance floor hopping all night long and even took a moment to step out of the clear-cased DJ corner booth to MC while he viewed the dance floor and get some love from his adoring fans (see my shameless photo op above).  

Looking back on how the creation of hip hop and how it influenced such as Grandmaster himself, the man who FIRST used the turntable as an instrument, and the direction DJs are going today, there has been is still is a vast amount of growth and creativity in this arena. One of the best DJs I've seen "live" recently was through the YouTube Live online concert feed (recorded from San Fran), showcasing some of the best talent the world over as judged by the popularity of their YouTube videos. VJ (video jockey)/Scratch DJ Mike Relm rocked the stage and clogged up commenting abilities on the YouTube Live streaming site during his scratch set performance combining Santogold rthymic genius with Ok Go's popular stair master music video as well as a ridiculous scratchin' he did to the baby duo Charlie and his older brother. But despite added technology and flashy videography, some classic techniques and sounds just can't be beat, at least that's the opinion of this blogger/music lover after experiencing the mix magic of Mistah Flash in the flesh. Flash had announced to the crowd a new album to be released in February of next year and if your passport is up-to-date you can catch Mike Relm the rest of this month at the Jingle Bell Rock tour in Canada (or on his straight to DVD flick Clown Alley - currently out of stock on his site but if you're desperate I think they still have some in the UK...passport or extra shipping costs may apply).